New Balance Fresh Foam 1080v10 Review
With my everyday comfort shoe nearing the end of its life, I decided to try something new and get a pair of the New Balance 1080v10 based solely on initial reviews and my general curiosity about Fresh Foam X.
What Is It?
The 1080v10 is New
Balance's premiere cushioned shoe designed for any kind of workout due to it's
relatively light weight.
It features a
version of their Fresh Foam X that provides a lot of cushion without
sacrificing too much in the energy return department. While the foam is light
to begin with, there are designed laser cuts that help trim the weight.
The upper carries
over some of their new design language with engineered Hypoknit, a comfortable
knitted upper, and Ultra Heel, their flared heel design that takes pressure off
the back of your foot. The tongue is connected to an internal gusset which keeps
it in place. It's pretty generous in thickness and comfortable. In general, the
upper is attractive with its organic design.
The outsole is
proving to be pretty durable. It's made up of mostly of rubber with a little
bit of exposed foam. Traction is solid on road, groomed dirt and wet sidewalks.
In my US men's size
10, the shoe has the following measurements:
- Weight: 10.1oz (286.3g)
- Drop: 8mm (30mm heel and 22mm forefoot)
Why Did I Get It?
I was looking for a new easy day shoe for low aerobic efforts and recovery runs. Based on the initial reviews I was also hoping they'd be flexible for other types of workouts as well like my previous easy shoes (The Nike Infinity React).
How Have They Worked Out?
The Fresh Foam 1080v10s had great step-in feel and a nice forefoot roll off feeling. I used the shoes mostly for easy or recovery efforts. I did also try a few workouts where I pushed the pace to see how they would respond. After over 200 miles I've come to the following observations:
The Good
- Fresh Foam X cushioning is plush and durable.
- The upper is very comfortable but a little warm.
- The forefoot is very accommodating.
- The base is generous providing good stability.
The Bad
- While the shoes felt great on easy runs, they struggled on faster efforts.
- The shoes feel heavier than their weight suggests.
- The airflow in the shoe is only adequate.
- The rocker disappeared pretty quickly.
When reviewing my Stryd data and looking at power levels for the same paced runs, I noticed that the 1080v10s required more power (10-20 watts) to maintain the same easy paces. In practice, I often felt that I had to work harder while wearing these shoes even for easy days. As a result, I never felt compelled to run faster in these shoes. They just wanted to go easy and only felt best when doing so.
Is It Worth It?
At $149.95 USD, the 1080v10 is reasonably priced for a solid cushioned shoe. While it's marketed as an do everything shoe, I don't know I'd recommend them for that purpose. If you already have fast day shoes then they will complement your line on easy days but I can't recommend them as an all-in-one shoe as there are other great choices available.